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Php for kids

Hi,

I'm doing my best to learn php to be able to develop my website for kids, now I understand how php inserts tables in MSQL, also I learned about can I build register and login page.

I want to learn more and more, and I think the best way for me is the video, so do you think that learning PHP and MySQL on lynda.com is good for me, or thre is an other learning website better ?? or maybe free also.

To be honest, video is quite an abstract way of learning PHP because PHP is theory-based - you just learn the syntax then the functions etc, and you're done.

Videos help you, sure, but they also show you how to make the same mistakes as the author might make, e.g using brackets around echo statements, using alternative blocks, using longer code than neccesary etc.

Jake Arkinstall
"Sometimes you don't need to reinvent the wheel;
Sometimes its enough to make that wheel more rounded"-Molona

If your serious about learning you should investin a few books. You can always sell them off when they have nothing new to offer you. Reading things online only helps so much. There's nothing like a hard copy reference to look at.

When I was learning PHP I just used tutorials etc and asked on sitepoint. No money spent and I became almost proficient faster than it'd take to read the book!

Although everyone learns differently I suppose. That's hopefully what I'm going to combat in my latest site - cross-method teaching.

Seeing as your of the yonger generations I wouldn't be suprised. I personally seem to retain much better when reading from a hard copy.
The wife and I were just discussing this the other night and she feels out kids will be adapt to both like yourself. I dunno' we'll have to wait and see.

Really I appreciate your help, I will do my best to understand more and more, but you are right ( arkinstall ) about learning by tutorials, I found it's a good way also, I was soooo happy to learn about how we can insert info from PHP to MySQL on the following website : w3chools.com/PHP/php_mysql_intro.asp, really I understood everything, it's simple and easy.

Also I tried some tutorials about ( registration / login / logoff ) and it was fine for me, now I'm trying to find more tutorials, I don't know which kind I have to learn now ??

By the way, I'm using also Flash, and learning in the same time now Action Script, why ?? because my goal as I told you, to build web services / activities for kids, and I found that there is a real friendship between flash ( action script ) and php, what you think ???

Sorry to bother, but I was discussing with a friend, and he talked with me about easyphp, that it's an easy software to integrate php codes, so what you think about it also ?? without forgetting to answer me about my replies above.

what is mean ( ! ) sign exactly ?? for example when I put it beside a isset like the following example :

PHP Code:

if (!isset($_COOKIE['loggedin'])) die("You are not logged in!<br><a href=login.html>log in</a>");
$mysite_username = $HTTP_COOKIE_VARS["mysite_username"];
echo "you are logged in as $mysite_username.<p>";

I understand that is there is a doubt that $_COOKIE['loggedin'] not working, the php will print the die part, and if thre is no doubt, and the variable working well, so in this case we will see the second sentence ( you are logged .... )

thanks mautri for your reply, I'm checking the website of php, but really sometime hard to understand, I think later will be fine for me.

A general question for you and all other friends here, are we building php like puzzle ?? so for example I will be able to build first ( registration and login ) and after ( feedback ) , and after ( newsletter ) , what I mean that can i add more script for my first php script, or I have to build everything from the first time ????

this question just to know if I have to wait to learn everything about php before I begin building my own script or not ??

yes, you can create basic features to your site first and then add on to it with new features later. you just have to be careful with your database once it's live, and always test scripts (especially ones that delete data from your database) before you put them live.

Originally Posted by bbparis

thanks mautri for your reply, I'm checking the website of php, but really sometime hard to understand, I think later will be fine for me.

A general question for you and all other friends here, are we building php like puzzle ?? so for example I will be able to build first ( registration and login ) and after ( feedback ) , and after ( newsletter ) , what I mean that can i add more script for my first php script, or I have to build everything from the first time ????

this question just to know if I have to wait to learn everything about php before I begin building my own script or not ??